Gyro wheel and means for driving same



' Ju y 3 5.1 a. G. CARLSON 2,380,573

GYRO WHEEL AND MEANS FOR DRIVING SAME Filed Nov. 20, 1942 5 k II! a4 53I 7 ll 3% 3 5 IN V EN TOR.

50w QflaasoM Patented July 31, 1945 GYRO WHEEL AND MEANS FOR DRIVINGSAME Bert G. Carlson, Erieside, Ohio, assignor to Jack & Heintz, Inc.,Bedford, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 20, 1942,Serial No. 466,271

4 Claims.

This invention relates in general to gyros and more particularly toimprovements in the construction and means of driving gyro rotors.

The conventional practice in automatic pilots has been to spin the gyrorotors pneumatically, or in other Words to incorporate them into avacuum system whereby the inrushing air impinges upon the peripheralbuckets of the rotor to impart high speed rotation thereto. Difficultyhas been encountered in maintaining constant speed of rotation by suchan assembly and more especially in high altitude operation due to theatmospheric rarefaction attending such high altitudes.

One of the primary objects of the invention accordingly is to provide animproved rotor construction and means of drive that will functionefiiciently to maintain and insure constant speed of rotation regardlessof high altitudes or variation in atmospheric densities.

To this end it is proposed to drive the rotor hydraulically by merelytapping the usual hydraulic system to obtain the driving force of oilunder pressure and in order to obviate oil leakage or pressuredissipation, it is further proposed to provide the rotor with a seriesof buckets located concentrically and inwardly of its periphery so as tobe impinged by pressure oil led thereto through appropriate passages inthe rotor and its gimbal supports leading to pressure J'ets.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides ii.the combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterset forth in the following specification and appended claims, certainembodiments thereof being illustrated in the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of the invention as appliedto a horizontal axis automatic pilot directional gyio assembly includinga rotor and its supporting gimbal frames;

, Figure 2 is a view in section of the rotor and inner gimbal supportthrefor; and

Figure 3 is a view in section taken through the rotor along line 33 ofFigure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the assembly includes arotor that is made up of two complementary castings i and 2 securedtogether by a series of screw bolts 3. Centrally locate'd with respectto the rotor is a stationary shaft 4 on which is rotatably mounted withrotor 2 a wheel 5 having internally located buckets 6 thereon. Pressureoil from the hydraulic system including an oil pump, not shown, is ledthrough a pipe I into passages 8 and 9 in the outer supporting frame it)and through passages H, I2, I3 and M in the gimbal frame l5. Thepressure oil then flows through passages 16 and I! in the gimbal frameHi. This leads the pressure oil to the internal passage H9 in thestationary shaft 4 from whence it flows through passage 20 and a jet 2|where it impinges on the buckets 6 of the wheel 5 carried by the rotor2.

The gyro rotor 2 and wheel 5-carried thereby are mounted for rotationabout the stationary shaft 4 and provided with suitable ball bearingassemblies 22. The effect of the pressure oil from jet 2| impinging onthe buckets 6 is to impart a rotation of the rotor 2 and wheel 5 in aclockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 3. The pressure oil is drawnoff through the relatively larger passage 23 in the stationary shaft andthence out through passages 24 and 25 in gimbal frame 18 and passages26, 21, 28 and 29 in gimbal frame l5 and passages 30 and 3| in thesupport In to a pipe 32 leading the pressure oil back to the hydraulicsystem.

In assembling the construction shown, it has already been pointed outthat the two complementary parts of the rotor are brought together,after installation of the internal bucket wheel, and held together byscrew bolts 3. The inner gimbal support I8 is provided with trunnions 33to rotate in ball bearing assemblies 34 in the outer gimbal frame l5 andthe outer gimbal support I5 is provided with trunnions 35 to rotate inthe ball bearing assemblies 36 in the support In.

In the above described system the pressure oil system is a closed oneand constitutes the driving means for the rotor but also the lubricationsystem for rotor assembly. Any variation in atmospheric densities has noinfluence on the speed of rotation of the rotor inasmuch as the pressureoil drive supplants the usual vacuum system of drive.

I claim:

1. In combination in a gyro assembly including a gyro rotor mounted inbearings to rotate about a stationary shaft, an inner gimbal frame forcarrying said shaft, said inner gimbal being mounted in bearings forrotation in an outer gimbal frame which is mounted in bearings forrotation in a stationary frame, a pressure lubrication system forsupplying pressure oil in passages through bearings of said gimbalframes for lubricating purposes, said shaft having a longitudinalpassage therein to admit said pressure oil through said gimbal frames,said rotor having a series of internal tangentially extending buckets, apassage in said shaft extending outwardly to deliver said pressure oilangularly with respect to said buckets to impinge thereon to cause saidrotor to rotate, an offset longitudinal discharge passage in saidshaftparallel to said intake passage and leading to the discharge passages ofsaid gimbal frames, said shaft having a radially inwardly extendingpassage leading from said buckets to said discharge passage.

2. In combination in a gyro assembly including a gyro rotor mounted inbearings to rotate about a stationary shaft, an inner gimbal frame forcarrying said shaft, said inner gimbal being mounted in bearingsforrotation in an outer gimbal frame which is mounted in bearings forsages throughbearings of said gimbal frames for intake passage andle'adin'gfito the discharge pas a radially inwardly extending passageleading from said buckets to said discharge passage.

3. In a gyro'rotor assemblyincluding a staiubricating purp sfi saidrotor being made of ,two complementary releasably connected yw s"arranged a longitudinally about said *shait',.;.said hait having a;longitudinal passage; therein to admit said pressurej'oil from said gixnbal-,.ira mes,i, said rotor haying a'series ofinternal'tan'gentially. tendingbucketsja pa'ssa'gedns'aidshaft extendg'oiit-wardlygto deliversaidmressureoil' anew la ily with respecttosaidfbuckets to impinge to, f'cause said rotor to rotate, an offsetlongitudinal discharge passage insaid shaft parallel "to said sages ofsaid gimbal frames, said shaft having.

l sage.

. rotation in a stationary frame, a pressure lubri- 4 cation system forsupplying pressure oil pas-'- tionary haft and bearings for rotatabiysupporting said rotor directly upon said shaft, said shaft having alongitudinal passage therein to admit fluid pressure from a suitablesource, said rotor having a series of internal angularly extendingbuckets, a passage in said shaft extending outwardly to deliver pressurefluid angularly with respect to said buckets to impinge thereon andcause said rotor to rotate, an offset longitudinal discharge passage insaid shaft parallel to said intake passage, said shaft having a radiallyinwardly extending passage leading from said buckets to said dischargepassage.

- 4. In a gyro rotor assembly including a stationaryshaft and bearingsfor rotatably supporting said rotor direotly'upon said shaft, said Irotor beingqrnade of two complementary releasabl'y connected parts;"arranged v longitudinally 1 about'said shait,'said shaft having alongitudinal passage therein'to admit fluid pressure from a suitablesource"; said rotor having a series of internalffarigularly extendingbuckets, a passage in ,said-shaftjextending outwardly to deliverpressure fluid] angular-1y with respect to saidbuckets to impingethereon and cause said rotor torotate,

.oiiset longitudinal discharge passage in said shaft parallel .tosaidintake passage, said shaft having a radially inwardly extendingpassage leading from said buckets to said discharge pas- BERT G.CARLSON.

